British motorists planning to go abroad ME Countries must remove all UK stickers from their vehicles as new laws come into effect.
The old sticker on the back of vehicles is no longer valid and driver must replace it with a new “UK” to drive on foreign roads.
The government informed the United Nations in July that the move would take effect from September 28 of this year.
RAC spokesman Rod Dennis said: “It might just be a matter of replacing two letters, but this is a significant change for drivers who drive their cars outside of the UK in normal times.
“Any driver with a GB sticker on their car must now replace it with a new UK sticker when taking their vehicle abroad. Drivers must also remember that the license plates have the blue ribbon and the letters ‘GB’ next to them the European golden stars are also no longer valid. “
What do I have to do if I drive my car abroad?
the Ministry of Transport (DfT) Guidelines State that “If your license plate shows any of the following, you must clearly affix a UK sticker to the rear of your vehicle:”
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a GB identifier with the Union flag
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one euro symbol
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a national flag of England, Scotland or Wales
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Numbers and letters only – no flag or identifier
However, if your license plate already includes a UK Union flag – also known as the Union Jack – you will not need to apply a sticker in most EU countries.
“If you are in Spain, Cyprus or Malta you will need to put a UK sticker on regardless of your license plate,” the government guidelines state.
“If you have a GB sticker, cover or remove it before driving outside of the UK.”
Why did the government change the rules?
A DfT spokesman said: “The change of the UK national identifier in Great Britain symbolizes our unity as a nation and is part of a broader move towards the use of the British identifier across the government.
“We informed the UK of our intention to make these changes in July and worked with the sector to implement the change.”
The move came after the government announced in January that the EU flag would be removed from UK car and driver’s licenses to mark the first anniversary of Brexit.
British drivers have been told that in most EU countries they do not need to show a GB sticker when driving if their license plate shows GB or GB with a Union flag.
British drivers with photo ID have also been informed that they do not need an international driver’s license in any of the 27 EU Member States or in Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.The Transport Department said the changes were made to “mark the beginning of a new chapter for the UK” and “confirm our independence from the EU”.Transport Secretary Grant Shapps added: “Looking ahead, be it for work or vacation abroad, this change means that those who want to drive in the EU can continue to do so with ease.”
